Mexican meatballs served with creamy spicy Queso Blanco and guacamole. Perfect for your next party. Make a double batch because these won’t last long. And don’t forget the Margaritas.
Meatballs are simply the best party food. Easy to eat and easy on the palate. They’re just plain fun.
And why not let one of your favorite dip recipes become a part of a bigger picture?
I decided to make some spicy seasoned Mexican Meatballs and serve them along side Queso Blanco Dip for dipping. Spicy flavored meatballs in cheesy bliss? Yes, please…and yum!
Meatballs are relatively easy to make. Once those ingredients are combined, rolling out the meatballs are quick and easy … and call me weird, and somewhat theraputic.
Juicy on the inside and just right crispy on the outside … this recipe for Mexican Meatballs will become one of your favorite meatball recipes.
Let’s take a look.
Table of contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lean Ground Beef: A ground beef mixture of 85-15% fat works well here. A little fat makes for a juicy meatball.
- Roasted Chile Peppers: Use either fresh roasted Hatch chile peppers, or canned chopped chile peppers.
- Oatmeal: Old Fashioned rolled oats.
- Onion: Sweet or yellow onion, chopped
- Half and Half
- Egg
- Mustard: To add another layer of flavor. Use Dijon or Regular Yellow Mustard.
- Mexican Spices: Chili Powder, ground cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic powder
Recipe Substitutions
- Ground Beef: You can use a fattier blend of ground beef. Fat adds flavor, but the meatballs will be a bit greasier.
- Oatmeal: You can use Old Fashioned Oats or Quick Oats.
- Onion: Using a red onion will bring a stronger and spicier flavor.
- Half and Half: Milk will also work fine here.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy
- Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with Pam. Combine the ground meat and all ingredients in a large bowl. Using clean hands, mix until well combined. Let the mixture sit for about 10 – 15 minutes. This will give the oatmeal a chance to soften and become a part of the binding.
Pro-Tip: Hands are always the best tool for mixing meatballs. Using a large spoon will crush everything together, creating a tighter mix, which can cause the meatballs to be dry and too dense in texture.
- Step 2: Using your hands form the mixture into small meatballs. To serve a crowd, I like to make them about 1 ½ inches in diameter which will make about 45 meatballs. Place them on a parchment lined sheet pan, or a sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray such as PAM.
- Step 3: Bake meatballs in a 375 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes. If you’d like to make sure meatballs are fully cooked, use an digital meat thermometer to test the center of a meatball. Temperature should be 160 degrees.
Questions You Might Have
You can roll the meatballs and then store in the refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) for up to two days. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.
Cook meatballs up to a day in advance and store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. To reheat, use the low setting in a crockpot. Heat for about an hour or until nice and warm. Use the warm setting to keep warm for serving.
Yes. Just place any leftover cooked meatballs on a sheet pan. Place the pan of meatballs in the freezer for about 2 hours. Then place the meatballs in a zip-lock freezer bag for storage. Freezing them separately in advance will keep the meatballs from sticking together. Let meatballs thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Yes. You can make these Mexican Meatballs with Ground Turkey without any adjustment to the recipe. Use a fattier blend of ground turkey. However, you’ll be losing that beefy flavor. You can also make pork meatballs using ground pork.
Yes. However, baking is a much easier process. Frying will give you a crispier outer texture. Spray a large fry pan with non-stick cooking spray. Fry the meatballs over medium high heat, turning them often until cooked through. Work in batches using this process.
Yes, by using rolled oats rather than bread crumbs, these meatballs are naturally gluten free.
Tips For Success
- Practice you knife skills and chop the onion as small as you can. Large heavy chunks of onion will cause the meatballs to separate. Also large chunks of onion may not cook through during the baking process. If you’d like, grate the onion using the large holes on a box grater.
- Don’t over-mix the meat mixture. Over mixing will cause the meatballs to come out tough.
- If you want, very lightly moisten hands with cool water during the process of making these Mexican meatballs. This will keep your hands from getting too sticky.
- You can make larger meatballs. Just adjust the cooking time a few minutes longer to compensate.
- Eggs are important. Don’t skip adding an egg to the meatball mixture. Eggs are the key ingredient for binding the ingredients together.
- Make the meatballs uniform in size. The meatballs will cook evenly. Some people suggest to use a kitchen scale or cookie scoop. I say no! Don’t go to the trouble. Just eyeball them to keep them even.
Serving
- Serve the meatballs on a platter with a side of Queso Blanco, Guacamole or Salsa for dipping. Provide toothpicks or party picks for spearing.
- Or serve the meatballs on a platter always speared and drizzled with hot Queso Blanco sauce.
- Want to make this recipe a main course? Serve meatballs over rice drizzled with a chipotle adobo tomato sauce.
To find the recipe for Queso Blanco, head over to my post for Mexican Queso Blanco Dip.
More Meatball Recipes
Don’t miss my absolute favorite meatballs recipe for gingery Ground Pork Meatballs with basil and lime. Wonderful recipe.
And if you’re looking for unique Southwestern appetizer recipes, you won’t want to miss this one for Simple Air Fryer Nachos and this for Mexican Street Corn Dip.
And if you’re fond of Mexican Meatballs, don’t miss my recipe for Chorizo Mexican Albondigas Soup. For more Mexican recipes, visit my Mexican Category.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Mexican Meatballs with Queso Blanco
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef 85-15 blend works well here.
- ½ Cup half and half or milk
- 1 Cup old fashioned oats or quick cooking oats, or panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ½ sweet onion about 1 cup, fine chopped or grated.
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon mustard Dijon or regular yellow mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with Pam. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Using clean hands, mix until well combined. Let the mixture sit for about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Form the meat into small meatballs, about 1 ½ inches in diameter.. I usually get about 45 meatballs. Arrange meatballs on a baking sheet and bake 15 or 20 minutes.
- To serve, place meatballs on a serving platter with bowls of queso blanco and guacamole. Or drizzle the meatballs with the Queso Blanco and serve already speared and ready to eat.
Notes
- Practice you knife skills and chop the onion as small as you can. Large heavy chunks of onion will cause the meatballs to separate. Also large chunks of onion won’t cook through during the baking process. If you’d like, grate the onion using the large holes on a box grater.
- Don’t over mix the meat mixture. Over mixing will cause the meatballs to come out tough.
- If you want, very lightly moisten hands with cool water during the process of making the meatballs. This will keep your hands from getting too sticky.
- You can make larger meatballs. Just adjust the cooking time a few minutes longer to compensate.
- Eggs are important. Don’t skip adding an egg to the meatball mixture. Eggs are the key ingredient for binding the ingredients together.
Nutrition
Mexican Meatballs … It’s What For An Appetizer
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Just the other day I thought it had been way too long since I’ve made meatballs. I wanted to experiment with different recipes and styles. I will be adding this one to my meatball quest this year. And covering with queso blanco = brilliant!
Thanks so much Renee. Meatballs are so fun and easy to make. We really liked the flavors in this one.
I love Mexican flavours!!! These meatballs sound delicious! Great picture too!
Thanks Manu.
Holy cilantro! These look fabulous! — I couldn’t care less about the Super Bowl, so I’ll just root for your Broncos. Pitchers and catchers report in a few weeks though. 😉
I”m ready for some Baseball! 🙂 Thanks Adam.
I love meatballs and this recipe is so fun! Love that you are part of the #SundaySupper Family!
Thank you Isabel. I’m glad too! 🙂
What a yummy meatball recipe! I’d fill my little appetizer plate with these beauties! And go Broncos!!!
Thanks Liz. A very disappointing game, but appreciate that cheer!
The photo at the top looks fantastic! And I love queso blanco. I took a week-long class a couple of years ago in New Mexico centered around Mexican dishes and queso blanco was one that we made. I needed a whole bowl just for me 🙂
Thanks so much Susan. I’d love to take a class like that.
You are going to have an AMAZING Super Bowl Sunday! Your team is playing and you made delicious meatballs!!!
It was amazing and disappointing. It’s been a fun Season however. Thanks for stopping by Betsy.
That Queso sounds fantastic!
These look AMAZING!
We’re Bears fans, but today we’ll be rocking the blue and orange for your Broncos here in Ohio!
YAY – thanks for cheering for the orange and blue! Such an exciting day.
These look terrific! I’ve never met a meatball I didn’t like, and anything Mexican (particularly with queso blanco) has my number. Good stuff – thanks.
Thanks John! I’m with you about that meatball sentiment. Love em!
Can’t agree with the Go Broncos but I totally agree with those meatballs. They would be a sure hit at any game day party!!
Thanks so much Tara! Heading over to check out those spring rolls. What a fun day and a great #SS
I nearly keeled over when I saw your title, then even more with the first picture, and then reading the actual recipe just about did me in. These look so, so, so AMAZING!!! And perfectly right up my alley. Hatch chiles AND pickled jalapenos??? Plus meatballs?? OMG, it’s almost too much. Definitely pinning and making these. Wow! So glad you’re here with us on #SS! 🙂
I was really pleased with my meatballs and the flavor. And of course Queso Blanco is a no-brainer delicious. Heading over to see about your Dr. Pepper Turkey Chili. And forpittysake don’t keel over, you have to cheer on my Broncos. 🙂
Mmmm, queso blanco…a restaurant near my parents’ had THE best ever and they have now closed, and we are all so bummed. I am totally trying your recipe over those delish Mexican meatballs, stat!
Boy if I were you, I’d be finding someone from that restaurant and begging for the recipe. Too bad when restaurants close, especially ones that serve a favorite food. Thanks for stopping by and I must try your wings very soon.
The perfect appetizer for today, Lea Ann. When will your party start? We’ll be sure to be on time! 😉 Can’t wait for the game. to begin. Go Broncos!
Thanks Kirsten. I’m with you. It’s going to be a long day before that television turns on. I’m thinking about 2:00 for us. Go Broncos.
I love Mexican and I love meatballs! I would love this recipe! Great idea! Go Broncos!
Thanks so much Jennifer and for that cheer of confidence for our Broncos.
Three reasons to cheer today!: #1, LeaAnn is part of this great Sunday Supper group now!!! #2, GO BRONCOS, my fave team since the team began!, and #3, your awesome recipe using Queso! We’re making a queso as well, but I love the meatballs on a stick idea . . . perfect for party food!
xo
Roz
Thanks for cheering on my participation in #SS and those Broncos. Such an exciting day for Bronco fans everywhere. And so fun that I actually know a couple of people who are attending the game today. These meatballs were really flavorful Roz. Hope you give them a try one of these days. Go Broncos.
Love that cheese sauce!!!!! Anything with Hatch green chilis is a winner!
I’m with you on that Hatch Chile thing. 🙂
You had me at Mexican Meatball. These look so yummy & I LOVE the picture!
Thanks Jennifer. I slept in this morning and I’m so excited for today and for reading everyone else’s posts.
You could put queso blanco on just about anything and I’d eat it! I love that you are pairing it with Mexican style meatballs, awesome!
Thanks Hezzie-D. I agree with putting that stuff on anything. And I have to admit, these meatballs ended up very flavorful. I was pretty proud of myself on these.
Your photo could be on the cover of Food & Wine. What a fabulous dish. Go Broncos.
Sam
Sam!! You’re so kind, and thank you. Go Broncos. My stomach has 1 million butterflies in it right now.